The present invention relates to a protective arrangement for vehicles, comprising a luggage-compartment divider which, in a vehicle, can be pivoted into an active position so as to divide two spaces in the vehicle, or into an inactive position so as to form an opening between the spaces, and to a coupling arrangement which is arranged on each side of the luggage-compartment divider and is adapted to engage in a mounting in the vehicle so as to form in this way an articulation around which the luggage-compartment divider can pivot.
It is previously known to arrange a barrier element, such as a grille made of steel, in the region above the backrest of the rear seat of the vehicle in vehicles of the hatchback or estate type. The grille can prevent articles from the luggage compartment being thrown forwards and injuring the passengers in the vehicle in the event of hard braking or a collision. The grille is fastened pivotably to the ceiling of the vehicle and can be pivoted up towards the vehicle ceiling into an inactive position in which fastening arrangements in the form of clips or clamping members mounted in the vehicle ceiling engage with the grille. To fix the grille in the folded-down, active position, clips are arranged on the rear side of the backrest.
The clips are screwed firmly in the ceiling and the backrest, which means that holes have to be made in the ceiling and the backrest. This involves a complicated work operation and gives rise to a blemish in the form of holes in the interior decor of the vehicle if the grille and the clips are demounted at a later date.
Certain types of vehicle are provided with a flexible safety net which, in an inactive position, is rolled into a space in the backrest of the rear seat. The space is closed by a cover. To divide the luggage compartment and the passenger compartment, the cover is opened and the safety net is unrolled in order to be fastened to the vehicle ceiling. In the event that the backrest of the rear seat is folded forwards, it is also desirable for the safety net to be capable of being unrolled and fastened to the vehicle ceiling. The safety net can thus prevent articles from being thrown forwards towards the passenger compartment.
In the event that a grille is arranged in the vehicle, mounting the clips on the backrest means that the cover for the space into which the safety net is rolled is obstructed, which makes the flexible safety net unusable.
During journeys, it has also been the case that jarring sounds in the form of squeaking have arisen between the grille and the clips and also at the fastening points of the grille on the ceiling.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages in order thus to obtain a protective arrangement which can be fixed in the active and inactive position without extra fastening arrangements mounted on the backrest and in the ceiling, which makes it possible to use a flexible safety net folded into the backrest and which does not give rise to jarring sounds during journeys.
This is achieved by a protective arrangement of the type indicated in the introduction, in which at least one spring element is arranged so as to fix the barrier element in the active position and in the inactive position.
By using a spring element in order to fix the barrier element, it is not necessary to screw any clips firmly into the vehicle, which is complicated and time-consuming The action of the spring element in the active and inactive position prevents relative movements between different components which gives rise to jarring sounds.
The invention also leads to it being possible to use a safety net which can be rolled into the backrest since no clips obstruct the cover for the space where the safety net is stored.